Leeds Cup, Old British Golf Tournament
First played: 1902
Last played: 1950
An explanation about our "last played" year of 1950: The Leeds Cup is still, in fact, played today. But it was discontinued after 1950 only to be revived in the 2000s. Today, the tournament is a regional PGA event for club pros and apprentices. Our focus in this article is the tournament from its founding until 1950, a period during which many big British names were winners.
Including the greatest of the first half of the 20th century in the U.K., Harry Vardon, who won the inaugural tournament in 1902. The biggest winner, however, was Ted Ray. The U.S. Open and British Open champ won the Leeds Cup four times from 1903 through 1911, then once more in 1919 when the tournament returned following World War I.
The largest margin of victory was 11 strokes holes by Archie Compston in 1925; the tournament scoring record was 137 by Bill Davies in 1931 and John Fallon in 1949.
The Leeds Cup was a 36-hole, stroke play tournament that was named after the club that created it and ran it, Leeds Golf Club.
Also known as: Leeds Challenge Cup
Winners of the Leeds Cup
These are the winners for the period 1902-1950, when the tournament was played by most of the leading British tour professionals.
1902 — Harry Vardon, 149
1903 — Ted Ray, 147
1904 — Sandy Herd, 146
1905 — Sandy Herd, 145
1906 — George Duncan, 154
1907 — Ted Ray, 144
1908 — Tom Ball, 148
1909 — James Kay, 151
1910 — Ted Ray, 143
1911 — Ted Ray, 147
1912 — Peter McEwan Jr., 154 (def. George Pulford in playoff)
1913 — Walter Hambleton, 155 (def. Tom Beck in playoff)
1914 — Thomas Renouf, 153
1915–18 — Not played due to World War I
1919 — Ted Ray, 158 (def. Sam Whiting in playoff)
1920 — Cyril Hughes, 152
1921 — Arthur Day, 147
1922 — Jack Gaudin, 147
1923 — Jack Gaudin, 141
1924 — Willie Robertson, 150
1925 — Archie Compston, 140
1926 — Archie Compston, 143 (def. Cyril Fryer in playoff)
1927 — R. Leather, 150
1928 — D.C. Jones, 146
1929 — Abe Mitchell, 142
1930 — D.C. Jones, 148
1931 — Bill Davies, 137
1932 — Bob Kenyon, 149 (def. Fred Taggart in playoff)
1933 — Ted Jarman, 144 (def. Jock Ballantine in playoff)
1934 — Jack Busson, 140
1935 — Frank Jowle, 147 (def. John Fallon in playoff)
1936 — Ted Jarman, 142
1937 — John Fallon, 142
1938 — Jack Busson, 140
1939 — Bill Davies, 139
1940–45 — Not played due to World War II
1946 — Norman Sutton, 140
1947 — Eric Green
1948 — Bill Shankland, 140
1949 — John Fallon, 137
1950 — Syd Scott, 148 (def. Bob Kenyon in playoff)
